John W. "Pat" Patterson

Battle Creek City Police Department — Battle Creek, MI

Felonious

End of Watch August 23, 1940

Age 68

Tour of Duty 31 yrs

The Vigil Panel 77 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 5

Incident

Patrolman Pat Patterson succumbed to injuries sustained when he was kicked in the groin while trying to arrest a man on August 1, 1940. He was helping a military police officer arrest an escaped patient from the Veterans Administration Hospital. The man began to struggle with Patrolman Patterson in front of the Battle Creek Post Office at 67 E Michigan Avenue. Officer Patterson died from complications after surgery for the injury. Patrolman Patterson was a gifted athlete who originally came to Battle Creek to play baseball. He was a member of several amateur and semi-professional teams and also coached. He was the coach of the Battle Creek Central High School baseball team that won a state championship in 1907. On December 31, 1999, a portion of East State Street adjacent to the department headquarters was renamed "John W. Patterson Way."

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Permanent identifier: BO-US-MI-80099EE2
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

31 years. You could have gone home.
Patrolman Patterson gave the Battle Creek City Police Department 31 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Battle Creek community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Patterson.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Battle Creek City Police Department

Location Battle Creek, MI

Platform Identity bcpd.calhoun.mi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 23, 1940

Tour of Duty 31 yrs

Age 68

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Person

Offender Not available

Patrolman John W. "Pat" Patterson is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In MI, 426 of 718 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 59.3% of this state's fallen. That is 5.1 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Battle Creek City Police Department, 3 of 6 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

Battle Creek City Police Department

of 6 officers

50% Felonious

MI — Statewide

426

of 718 officers

59.3% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious